Nintendo Switch Sports

Genre: Compilation / Sports (Various)

Players: 1-4 Team Competitive (Local Split-Screen), 2-16 Competitive / Team Competitive (Online)

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Review:

(Note: This is an outdated review. You can find the current review here.)

Nintendo Switch Sports, released on the Nintendo Switch in 2022, is the long-awaited fourth installment in the Wii Sports franchise, and the first to bring the series to a platform that doesn’t have “Wii” in its name. Does that make this the “Nintendo Console Sports” series now? Or perhaps “Nintendo Sports”? In any case, as with prior games in the series, this is a Compilation of simple Sports games played using motion control, which includes new versions of Tennis and Bowling (first seen in the original Wii Sports) and Chambara (Swordplay) from Wii Sports Resort, as well as new additions to the series, Soccer, Volleyball, and Badminton. Nintendo has also announced that a version of Golf will be coming later as free DLC content, but I will be reviewing the game as-is.

Of course, the big question here is how well the motion control will work since the Joy-Con controller doesn’t work quite the same as the Wii Remote did. But then there’s the question of how well the online play works, how well the new sports work… well, let’s answer those questions!

Here’s what I thought of each of the games in this compilation:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
Badminton	Sports (Badminton)	1-2 Competitive (Local, Online)	D
tl;dr What a disappointment. The motion controls are not at all accurate in this game, and much like the version of Tennis here, you can’t control your movement. The only things that seem to matter are the timing of your swing and whether you’re holding down the ZR button to do a “drop shot” (a weaker hit to land close to the net). The result is a version of the sport that seems devoid of any nuance, skill, or actual fun.
Bowling	Sports (Bowling)	1-4 Competitive (Local), 2-16 Competitive (Online)	B+
tl;dr Bowling has consistently been one of the best sports in the Wii Sports series, and it remains as solid as ever here, with great use of motion controls. I feel like this version of the game loses something by ditching Wii Sports Club’s 100-pin challenge levels in favor of a variety of wacky lanes with various obstacles. However, it makes up for this with excellent online tournament play.
Chambara	Sports (Chambara)	1-2 Competitive (Local Split-Screen, Online)	B+
tl;dr This simple swordfighting game is a delight, and the motion controls work way better than I would expect. Despite the simplicity, there’s some clear strategy here, and there’s even some variety in three different sword styles to choose from. One of the highlights of this collection.
Soccer	Sports (Soccer)	1-2 Competitive (Local), 8 Team Competitive (Online)	B
tl;dr The motion controls here are pretty gimmicky, but this is actually a pretty fun game of Soccer, albeit one made strange in local play by the fact that it’s one versus one, so there’s no passing, which is bizarre given that this is one of the most fundamental elements of the sport. Online multiplayer here is great though. I should note that this game includes a much-touted “Shoot Out” minigame that makes use of the same leg strap that was bundled in with Ring Fit Adventure. However, this minigame is gimmicky, shallow, and seems to only care about the timing of your kick and not the angle or speed. All things considered, this is a fun take on Soccer, but a flawed one.
Tennis	Sports (Tennis)	1-4 Team Competitive (Local, Online)	C+
tl;dr This iteration of Tennis still doesn’t let you control your player movement, but adds a level of strategy by making every match a doubles match and having solo players control both members of their team. It’s fun, but unfortunately I didn’t feel like the motions of the controller translated well into the game, making for a somewhat emptier experience than I’d like.
Volleyball	Sports (Volleyball)	1-4 Team Competitive (Local, Online)	C+
tl;dr This is a surprisingly decent version of the sport, and the variety given to it by having to alternately bump, set, spike, and block the ball keeps things interesting. What’s more, unlike this game’s versions of Tennis and Badminton, you can actually move your player… but only some of the time. What’s more, if the motion controls have any influence over aiming here, I’m not seeing it. The result is a game that’s uneven – it does some things right, and other things poorly.

The short version: Bowling, Chambara, and Soccer are the stars of this game, and both Tennis and Volleyball have their charms but some major issues as well. The only stinker in the bunch is Badminton. Well, and the Soccer Shoot-Out minigame, if you even want to count that.

Graphically, Nintendo Switch Sports is surprisingly good-looking, even if it’s presenting simple, cartoony takes on the sports in question. The texture of the grass, the beautifully-rendered water, the excellent lighting, the wealth of lovely detail in the backgrounds, and the clear resolutions and smooth framerates all make this a delightful game to look at, even though the cartoony characters make this a game that you’ll have trouble taking seriously.

Ah, yes, I should talk about those characters for a moment. And I know what many will ask – does this game let you use Miis? Yes, you can relax – you can play Tennis using your custom-made Mii version of Iron Man or bowl with your Snoopy or do a Chambara swordfight as your custom-made Inigo Montoya. However, the simplicity of the Mii characters’ faces looks somewhat odd sitting on the bodies of this game’s own well-animated cartoony characters, and I’d say that they look out of place next to the nice detail of those characters’ faces as well. However, I know this is a huge sticking point for some people, and regardless of how you feel, it’s nice that this game gives players both options.

The sound in this game is very good, at least in terms of the bright, accessible feeling this game is going for. The music is relaxed but bouncy in the same sort of style as the earlier games in the series, sound effects are all pretty good, and the announcer for the various sports fits and isn’t overly annoying or anything like that. Really, the rest of this game sounds so good that it’s a bit odd how all the sports’ participants are completely mute. But beyond that, the audio in this game gets the job done just as you would want.

There is of course one other major element to address here, and that’s the online multiplayer. It works very well… although my experience with the game thus far is that only half the time did it get me into a game with other real people – half the time it seemed to give up and fill my game with bots. I doubt this is due to a lack of players (as the game just released), and have to chalk it up to the game’s servers still catching up to the surge in activity, or something like that. When I did get into a match with live players, the experience was smooth and satisfying, and in those matches I have no issue to report.

There is one other element to the online play that’s a nice addition – as players play online, they will gradually unlock cosmetic items for their character, with the items available apparently on a rotation to keep you coming back. Oh, and don’t worry – no microtransactions here, everything must be earned in-game.

Overall, my experience with Nintendo Switch Sports was largely a positive one. Half of the sports in this package are fun and highly enjoyable, and all but one of the sports here are worth playing. I’m still a little disappointed that the 100-pin Bowling minigame is gone, and anxious to see how the upcoming Golf DLC will fare after Wii Sports Club‘s exquisite version of the sport. But as far as what’s here, most of the sports play well and are highly accessible, the game looks great, and the online play works well and brings a lot to the table.

All told, this is a solid entry in this series. It doesn’t have the wonderful variety of Wii Sports Resort, nor does it truly evolve any of its returning versions of the included sports as Wii Sports Club did with Golf, but this is still quite possibly the most well-rounded entry in the series, and one that series fans and Sports enthusiasts in general should definitely give a try.

tl;dr – Nintendo Switch Sports is a worthy successor to the Wii Sports franchise, with excellent versions of Bowling, Chambara (swordfighting), and Soccer, decent versions of Tennis and Volleyball, and a terrible version of Badminton. The game is colorful and polished, the sports are fun and accessible, and the online play works great. This game doesn’t do much to evolve this series, but it is a well-rounded and highly enjoyable entry in the series nonetheless.

Grade: B

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